1. How to Access FCS-Guests Wireless Network
1. Select FCS-Guests in the wireless network list 2. Connect to fultonschools.org 3. Click the “Need an account? Click Here” link on the login page 4. Fill-in account details, accept terms of use, and click “Register” 5. You will receive a text message and/or with sign in credentials 6. Login the “Fulton County Schools Guest Login” link and enter your credentials 7. After a successful login, you will be redirected to the Fulton County Schools homepage and may access other allowed websites.

2. Grant Champions Donors Choose Workshop
November 2018
Access today’s workshop slides on our website:
Go to main portal
On the main banner, click on ‘District’
Click on ‘Department Directory’
Scroll down and select ‘Grants’

3. Learning Outcomes
Knowing were to find valuable resources on the Grant Development website
Creating a Grant Champions Program
Mining for local funding resources
Learning grant development tips and tricks
Posting successful DonorsChoose.org Projects

4. Office of Grant Development Website
We have a web presence on two sites:
Office of Grant Development on the main portal
Office of Grant Development on the employee portal
Bookmark this site to access the monthly Grant Alert

5. Twitter Feed with Current Grant Opportunities
Online Resources
Twitter Feed with Current Grant Opportunities
Monthly Grant Alerts
Grant Approval Form
Upcoming Workshops
Recent Grant Awards
Grant Exemplars
Our website, provides online resources with grant alerts, sample grant budgets, proposals and exemplars for reference. Our Twitter Feed runs along the side of the page with links to current grant opportunities.

6. Grant Champions Program Overview
Participating in Grant Champions is an opportunity to build your grant development skills and secure additional funding for your school or department.
The Office of Grant Development provides grant resources and consultative support to help you navigate the grant approval process and develop competitive grant proposals.
As a Grant Champion, you will serve as the school’s grant lead and create a grant team to identify resource gaps and develop and submit competitive grant proposals to fund programs and projects for your school.
The time Grant Champions invest in the program will vary, from an hour a month to an hour a week, based on the needs of your school/department and the structure you develop. 
Grant Champions help schools secure funding for their unique programs.
Principals nominate Grant Champions for their schools.
Grant Champions can be a resource to help your principal and SGC support your schools Strategic Plan.
Grant development is a transferable skill. You can use these skills in your personal life to raise funding for nonprofits where you volunteer.

7. Grant Champion Activities
Form a Grant Committee
Principal, Teachers, Staff, Parents, PTA and SGC members
2. Assign team member duties
Grant lead, researcher, grant writer, proofreader, community liaison
3. Know your School's strategic plan
Discuss the school’s funding needs and resource gaps
4. Review Monthly Grant Alerts and Twitter Alerts
5. Mine local resources in your community
Partners in Education, Corporate partners, service groups, faith based partners
Prepare grant proposal and budget
Submit online grant approval form.
Submit your proposals to the funder
Earn grant funding for your school!

8. Grant Development Process
Inform Principal of intent to submit a grant proposal.
Discuss grant objectives, strategic plan alignment, grant budget, reporting requirements, roles and responsibilities, etc.
Submit Grant Approval Form
Submit Grant to funder and inform us if awarded.
Allow up to 2 weeks to obtain approvals prior to grant submission. Coordinate with the Office of Grant Development to facilitate securing signatures in the Central Office.
If awarded, let the Grants Dept. know. Be sure to write a thank you note and take pictures, tweet about it, tag the funder, FCS Grant Champs and FCS Leaders.

9. Mining for Local Resources
Reach out to the local business community – Chamber, Partners in Education, retail stores and restaurants in the area, etc.
Identify where parents work - Possible opportunities for Corporate Contributions, Corporate Foundation grants, Matching Grants, ‘Dollars for Doers’
Review Strategic Partners - Non-profit organizations that support the school and have a 501(c)3 IRS determination letter, e.g., school foundations, YMCA, Boys and Girls Club, etc.
Connect with local service organizations that may have a grant program - Rotary, Kiwanis, Junior League, faith-based organizations, etc.
Find professional organizations of which your teachers are members - Many offer grants, contests, scholarships to members, e.g., National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, National Science Teachers Association, etc.
Research grant opportunities at
List of Top Volunteer Grant Companies
Dollar for Doer programs are offered by corporations across all different industries. If you look at the Fortune 500 companies, approximately 40% of companies offer some sort of Dollar for Doer program for employees.
While the average Dollar for Doer grant is $10-$15 per volunteer hour, the amounts vary widely by company. For instance, Capital One provides a grant of $1 per hour while Chevron provides $500 grants after employees volunteer for 20 hours ($25 per hour).

10. Grant Writing Tips and Tricks
Create a grants calendar with your team Assign a Grant Researcher to look for funding opportunities Ensure that your proposal aligns with the funder’s area of focus Look at past grantees and the amount funded Determine eligibility and follow the grant instructions carefully For a online grant proposals, copy and paste the questions into Word Don’t write in isolation, rely on your grant team Contact the program officer with any questions Start small and keep trying!
Determine your eligibility Funders discard proposals that don’t meet eligibility guidelines Grant reviewers assign scores based on a rubric
Ask other people to read your proposal
Did they understand the purpose of your program? Did it make sense? If available, request reviewer comments on how your application was scored and incorporate feedback into your proposal for the next round of funding.

11. Questions? Comments? Break?

12. Getting Started with Donors Choose
Charlotte Hopkins,
Here’s some project guidance to get teachers started.
Cost:  Projects in the $300-$400 range are much more likely to get funded
Social Media:  Projects with links to teachers Facebook almost always get funded
Funding:   If you help a teacher get half the funding then someone else or some organization typically will fund the rest
Pictures:  Make sure the picture is compliant with Donors Choose guidelines, and of good quality
Make sure to proof read very well, not just for spelling. 

13. The Office of Grant Development
Contact:
Ashley Garrison at
Kelly Hopkins at